The players: Miller and Ball make Charlotte win
After two losses in a row, the Charlotte Hornets, 12th in the Eastern Conference, returned to victory on Thursday in the NBA. At home, they won against the Detroit Pistons (123-121 ap), sixth in the same conference, despite a negative win/loss record.
Charlotte was twenty points ahead (89-69, 31st), but Detroit came back to the score (107-107, 46th). The Hornets finally won in overtime, led by Brandon Miller, author of 38 points, the best performance of his young NBA career, including an 8/12 long distance shot, and LaMelo Ball (35 pts). Placed in the starting five, Moussa Diabaté only scored one point but provided the rebound (16). Tidjane Salaün scored seven points in 13 minutes.
The team: Spurs united in victory
The San Antonio Spurs were again without Victor Wembanyama (right knee contusion) on Thursday to host the Utah Jazz, 15th and last in the Western Conference. The Texans won (126-118), not without some difficulty. A little before the break, they were in fact twenty points behind (66-46, 22nd). San Antonio, however, managed to come back to the score (89-89, 37th) then escaped in the last three minutes.
Eight Spurs players scored more than ten points, Harrison Barnes being the most efficient (25), followed by Stephon Castle and Zach Collins (18 pts each). Sidy Cissoko, the second Frenchman from San Antonio, did not come into play. Finnish Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points for the Utah Jazz, who lost for the fourth time in a row.
The French: Gobert complete but beaten
The Minnesota Timberwolves, sixth in the Western Conference and who remained on two consecutive victories, lost to the Toronto Raptors (110-105), ranked 13th in the East. Rudy Gobert, the French pivot of the “Wolves”, signed a new double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, to which were added two blocks and an interception.
Despite the trio Edwards (26 pts) – Randle (23) – McDaniels (22), Minnesota gave in to RJ Barrett, author of 31 points, including 12 in the last quarter, and Scottie Barnes, back after three weeks absence and who scored 17 points. This is only the fourth victory won by the Toronto Raptors this season. They remain 13th in their conference despite this success.
